In addition to his many gifts, Steven Spielberg has the gift of prophecy. As my family viewed the tragic plight of New Orleans residents and tourists making the relentless trek down Hwy 10 in hopes of getting out of danger, it looked eerily familiar. It was scenes from “The War of the Worlds” reenacted, yet this was no act. This was really happening.

In the movie, based on the book by H.G. Wells, aliens attack the earth without warning, immediately killing and destroying everything in their path. Their pursuit is relentless. Every time the viewer thinks the main characters might be safe (at least momentarily), the aliens are back.

Although we had been warned of Katrina and where she might hit, she came quicker and more powerful than any one could imagine. And for New Orleans, after the initial hit, the worst scenario played out. Levees broke. People who had banked their lives on the worst not happening, or those who could not flee, were trapped. Just as in the movie, droves of people kept climbing higher, or walking to get away from a danger which keeps growing and growing. Just as in the movie, we have seen people loot in desperation and others steal to make a profit off the misery of others.

In a fantastic movie that Spielberg made very realistic by focusing on the human element and family relationships, he left out a very important component that plays a central role in the lives of those affected by and in the midst of disaster. That is the role of God.

The only time we hear the name of God invoked in the movie is to curse his name. The world is falling apart, people dying worldwide, yet there is no seeking the help of a higher power. What a fantasy! In real life, when it seems the world is falling apart, we do seek God. Most of us realize there is Someone beyond ourselves and that only He can fix things. We saw this in 9/11 and we see it in Katrina. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineoux Blanco declared Aug. 31 a day of prayer, and rightly so. We have heard dozens of testimonies of lives saved and people who have lost everything thankful to be alive. We have heard those missing loved ones asking for prayer. We are seeing people of faith trusting God to get them through this catastrophe and thousand of others doing what they can to help.

We don’t know why this happened or what caused this. We can fault global warning or poorly built levees or bad planning. We can judge those who didn’t get out and didn’t heed warnings to evacuate. We can refuse to help many because the actions of a few thugs sicken us. We can blame the president, Haley Barbour, or environmental wackos. All of this is pointless and counterproductive.

Actually, New Orleans has become a political sideshow as well as a disaster area. Looters are not only running amok, but they're even shooting at helicopters trying to bring in supplies, while other helicopters were unable to land because mobs stormed the landing pads as they came in. The kneejerk liberals are blaming Bush, and the environmentalist weirdos are trying to blame him for the hurricane ("He didn't sign the global warming treaty!") itself. Recriminations from the municipal to the federal level are flying like clothyard shafts at Agincourt (to use an analogy you Brits will understand), and the Democrats are already talking about ways to turn this against the Republicans during the next presidential election.

The locals aren't as grateful for the aid they get as you might think, for they think rescue efforts were deliberately delayed. Never mind that New Orleans is so unhappily situated geographically that after a hurricane, it's a minor miracle if anything gets in or out of town. The poor residents, who make up the overwhelming majority of those who are suffering (because the rich and middle class either fled town beforehand or stocked up survival shelters), are even accusing the authorities of deliberately breaking levies and flooding their neighborhoods in order to protect the Quarter. If the humans in WOTW acted like this after the Martians opened up with their Heat-Ray on Horsell Common, then after that, the invaders wouldn't have to do anything but sit back and let the humans exterminate each other.

flying like clothyard shafts at Agincourt (to use an analogy you Brits will understand),

Not this Brit, but The Battle of Agincourt was fought in October 1415 a bit before my time. this may come as a bit of a surprise to you but we don't live in thatched cottages any more either (Well, not all of us), the world has moved on and we have moved on with it

Let's just say I DON'T like a criminal-created reign of terror due to the fact that honest citizens are not allowed to defend themselves. And I also don't like any government unethical enough to prosecute citizens for defending themselves, like yours does. I think it might be time for another revolution over there.

The Columbine film was nothing but a propaganda film and a pack of lies from beginning to end, just like everything else Michael Moore's done. The fact that he hasn't been run out of town on a rail just shows how greatly left-wing and anti-American Hollywood has become.

Well you are entitled to your opinions and beliefs and if you want to belive the USA doesn't have a gun problem, thats up to you and I'm sure the children gunned down in their playground would agree with you, if they could.

The Columbine film was nothing but a propaganda film and a pack of lies from beginning to end, just like everything else Michael Moore's done. The fact that he hasn't been run out of town on a rail just shows how greatly left-wing and anti-American Hollywood has become.

The knee-jerk reaction of many of Moore's critics seems to be that he's a traitor who hates America.
I don't think Moore hates his country. I think he loves his country. He loves it so much that he's willing to point out (in Bowling For Columbine) that America is beset with serious problems regarding crime, drugs, guns, and a growing poverty-stricken underclass, and that these problems need to be addressed.

The alternative is to stick your fingers in your ears, hum 'The Star Spangled Banner' really loudly, and pretend that everything's fine and dandy in the U.S. of A.

Let's just say I DON'T like a criminal-created reign of terror due to the fact that honest citizens are not allowed to defend themselves. And I also don't like any government unethical enough to prosecute citizens for defending themselves, like yours does. I think it might be time for another revolution over there.

Like mine does?

What are you gabbling on about man. I am not British. Why do you assume that I am. I have given you no reason for that.
I have losat two brothers to guns and their idiot users.
People like you make me sick.

The problem isn't guns, it's the criminals who use them. Moore's work IS a pack of lies. Among other things, he doesn't point out that the parts of the US that have the most gun crimes are also those parts that have the stiffest gun control laws, making it impossible for honest citizens to defend themselves. If your relatives had owned guns of their own, they might still be alive.

And because this is a British-based website, I naturally assume that the majority of the posters are Brits. Just as you'd no doubt assume that the majority of posters on a US-based website are Americans.

The problem isn't guns, it's the criminals who use them. Moore's work IS a pack of lies. Among other things, he doesn't point out that the parts of the US that have the most gun crimes are also those parts that have the stiffest gun control laws, making it impossible for honest citizens to defend themselves. If your relatives had owned guns of their own, they might still be alive.

And because this is a British-based website, I naturally assume that the majority of the posters are Brits. Just as you'd no doubt assume that the majority of posters on a US-based website are Americans.

Let me deal with that last bit first. I never, ever assume anything. That way lies calamity.

As for if my brothers had had guns they would still be alive. They were children when they were shot. Two gentle souls who would never have been able to defend themselves, even if they had of had guns. Violence was not a part of their nature.

My first emotion at reading your reply was anger that you would suggest such a thing, without knowing the facts. But now I just pity you.

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